The Path We Choose
by Phoenix Oblivion
Summary: Leafkit and Sparrowkit think they're just normal kits of ThunderClan, but in fact, they have a greater destiny than anyone could have imagined. The two are good and evil, night and day, right and wrong. Before the clans can have peace, one of them must destroy the other, or the destruction of the lake will follow… There's only one small problem with this- the two cats are in love.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Well… don't ask where this came from. It's just a strange little plot-line I fancied writing about. The main characters are my OC cats, Leafkit and Sparrowkit who are, as stated in a prophecy, destined to fight in a battle of good and evil… but there's only a _minor problem _in the prophecy: they're kind of in love. It's mostly based on their relationship, but there are also other stories going on in the background about how ThunderClan are dealing with WindClan, who are pressing on their borders and are threatening to attack. **

**So yeah, that's the basic ****plot line! I hope you enjoy the prologue!**

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**Prologue:**

The stars in Silverpelt up above glimmered majestically, and the moonlight shone down onto the smooth, stone walls of the ThunderClan camp: illuminating the whole clearing. It was completely deserted; all the cats were in their nests, sleeping peacefully… that is, almost all the cats. One of them, a light ginger she-cat with hazel coloured eyes, padded around the medicine cat den, restlessly. Her tail swished along the ground and her eyes were narrowed in concentration. A few toms and she-cats were lying down, their fur and limbs plastered with cobwebs and various other herbs. The moss around them was stained slightly with blood. Most of the cats seemed unharmed except for a few cuts and bruises, but one cat's left had been completely ripped in two. It would still work- jet about- but his hearing wouldn't be unite as sharp as it had once been. _If they had only got back to camp quicker, _the medicine cat thought angrily, _I would have been able to fix it… it's not there fault. _She sighed quietly and stopped moving around, fixing her eyes on the floor. _It's WindClan's fault. Since their previous leader died and Galestar became leader, they've been pressing our borders like never before! I wonder why?  
_

"Embersoul?" a deep, gravelly voice echoed and she looked up to see a well muscled tom standing at the entrance of her den. "You wanted to see me?"

She nodded, relieved that he had come. The she-cat had been waiting all night for the moment he would arrive. "Yes, it's very important," she began. "The welfare of ThunderClan may depend upon it, Duskstar."

He angled his ears forward, but then something seemed to catch his eye, and he turned his attention towards the injured warriors behind Embersoul. "And they alright? Are any of them seriously injured?" he queried.

Embersoul let out a small _mrrow _of amusement. Duskstar was still a young leader, and he was still adjusting to his responsibilities. The tom had never been very patient. "Most of them are fine, but Fawnclaw has suffered bad damage to his ear."

"Will it heal?" Duskstar asked, his eyes diluting with concern for his clan-mate.

"Yes," Embersoul said quickly, not wanting to alarm her leader. "But his hearing will be impaired slightly."

There was a few moments of short silence, before Duskstar unsheathed his claws in frustration. "I don't understand what WindClan want from us!" he hissed, angrily, teeth bared. "We haven't stolen prey, and we certainly haven't shown any intentions of stealing their territory. It's like their acting just to provoke my clan!"

Embersoul padded forward and sat down beside him. "I'm no battle strategist," she murmured, finally. "But I think that… they might be doing just that. Trying to lull us into attacking their camp. That way they'll have an excuse to wage all out war against us."

"Perhaps," he admitted, starting to calm down. "Galestar is a right piece of work. But he's strong, and his warriors are getting more experienced by the second. Our border patrol hardly held them off this time. I fear we won't be so lucky in the future."

Embersoul immediately saw her chance to steer the conversation back towards the prophecy. "I agree," she said. "And I believe that's why StarClan have sent me a prophecy."

"A prophecy!" Duskstar raised his head, intrigued. "I'm listening."

Embersoul took a deep breath, before opening her mouth and reciting the message her warrior ancestors had chosen to share with her. "_The leaves and the sparrow must fight if the clans are to survive." __  
_

Duskstar tilted his head to one side. "The leaves and the sparrow must fight!" he echoed, puzzled. "What does that mean?"

"I know just as much as you do, Duskstar," Embersoul replied, sincerely. "Until the answer to this omen become clear, we must just carry on life as usual. Don't panic our clan-mates more than they already are." She warned.

Duskstar looked doubtful. "It seems clear to me that either the leaves or the sparrow represent evil. Surely we should try and eliminate that? Perhaps a kit will be born with the prefix sparrow or leaves?"

"No." Embersoul said, firmly. "Our ancestors have not yet told us which will fight for good! We must not interfere."

Realising that she hadn't convinced him, the medicine cat opened her mouth to speak again, but the leader of ThunderClan cut in. "If this is your opinion," he muttered, "then I shall not take any action until I deem it necessary. _Until _I deem it necessary."

"Thank you, Duskstar," Embersoul smiled, gladly. She glanced out of the den towards the moon. "You should be getting to sleep." She told him. "This whole clan has had a tiring day."

"Yes, mother," the leader replied sarcastically, purring for the first time in their talk. He turned around to leave, but just before he did he turned around to speak. "Their are two pregnant queens in the nursery at the moment: I have a hunch that they will give birth to the kits involved in the prophecy."

Embersoul settled down in her nest beside her patients as soon as Duskstar had disappeared from view. Her mind was troubled, and though she didn't feel satisfied, the medicine soon allowed the comfort of the bed to pull her into her dreams...

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**Hope you liked the prologue! I usually update my stories on a regular three day basis, so this should be up around next Monday. Please review! I could use your opinion.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Okay! So here's Chapter One; I hope you enjoy it. Please review some of my other stuff if you liked this story, I really appreciate your feedback.**

**Thanks for reviews from clearflight, Keeralie Starflight, koryandrs, Apricis, Glimpse the Hedgehog and Song of falling feathers for reviewing the ****prologue!**

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**Leafkit's POV:**

A glimmer of sunlight burst through the lichen of the nursery, making Leafkit wake up. Her eyes blinked, adjusting to the sudden change for a few seconds, before she yawned and stretched in her nest luxuriously. Her tail brushed accidentally against the ears of her mother, Silverfeather, making the grey she-cat turn over in the nest and moan, "Leafkit... go back to sleep for awhile. The sun has only just risen."

She bounced excitedly, digging her small claws into the feathers below her. "But we've been in the nursery for an entire moon without seeing the camp yet!" She complained. "Can't I go out?"

"Maybe later," Silverfeather soothed, slowly rising to her paws. Turning her head, she looked towards Lavenderheart, the other mother in the cramped space. At her breast, still asleep, was Leafkit's best friend, a brown tabby tom with amber eyes named Sparrowkit. "You could go with your friend when he wakes up."

Leafkit had to admit, it would be more enjoyable to explore with the other kit; she was still restless though. "Sparrowkit _always_ gets up at around sun-high: I'll be waiting for ages." She muttered.

Silverfeather purred. "Exactly!" She tucked her paws under her stomach neatly and settled back down. "I'll be able to rest for a bit longer."

Leafkit snorted. Too long she had been bored to death lying about in the nursery. Today, she would go and explore the camp whether her mother liked it or not! _Besides, _she thought slyly,_ you didn't say I couldn't make Sparrowkit wake up. _Careful to avoid stepping on Silverfeather or Lavenderheart's out-stretched tail, she nudged the tom with her muzzle. "Sparrowkit!" she whispered.

Slowly, he opened his amber eyes and blinked as Leafkit came into focus. "Wha-" he groaned. "What is it? It's so early-"

"Never mind that Sparrowkit!" Leafkit said impatiently, beginning to pad around in a repetitive movement. "This our chance." When she saw his puzzled expression, she sighed. "You know. The thing we've been wanting to do for the past moon? Explore the camp!"

"Really!" Instantly the kit had shot out of his nest, his eyes bright with excitement. "Oh wow! This is amazing! I bet it's going to so huge and impressive and… uh, huge and impressive!" He concluded. Leafkit giggled. he always did this; it made her laugh_ a lot. "_But wait," Sparrowkit cut off, tilting his head to oneside, "how does Lavenderheart know? She's not even awake yet."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course she doesn't know! Silverfeather didn't give me permission either."

"But that means we'll get into trouble!" Sparrowkit exclaimed, looking taken back. "Remember the last time we did something like that. We were banned from playing moss-ball for an entire week."

"Of course I remember!" Leafkit said, looking down. Really, it had (as usual) been her fault. Out of the two cats, she was the one who came up with all the plots and schemes. Lavenderheart had caught them red-pawed trying to sneak out of the nursery and put a pile of thistles Leafkit had found at the back of the den in the apprentice's nests. The outcome had only made the she-cat less satisfied than she already was. "But we won't get caught this time."

The tom was silent for a a moment. "You promise me we won't get punished?" he said, unsure.

Leafkit grinned as she realised she was finally convincing him. "I promise; if we do get discovered, I'll take full blame. I'll say that it was all my idea and that if had absolutely nothing to do with you whatsoever. Okay?"

Sparrowkit sighed. "I know I'm gonna get screwed for this, but fine. Lead the way." Leafkit let out a small squeak of triumph, and she dashed faster than the wind to the entrance. "Wait!" She heard the sound of her friend's paw steps as he scuttled out after her-

And the sight they saw completely took them away. Leafkit nearly fell over in admiration. _It's so much better than I expected it to be! _The walls of the ThunderClan camp were smooth and pearly white; they glimmered under the sun's gaze. An overwhelming scent of cat hit her nostrils, and Leafkit turned around to see the High-Ledge, where Duskstar would always address his cats. She and Sparrowkit had only ever seen their leader once, and that had been when two apprentice's were being made warriors. The mere thought of that day made her long even more to become an apprentice, like they had been. Blown away, Leafkit only managed to say one word. "AWESOME!"

"Yeah," Sparrowkit agreed dreamily. "Imagine what it would be like to walk around this place every single day. I can't wait!"

"Neither can I," the she-cat nodded. She dropped into a hunter's crouch and hissed playfully. "Well, we've only got a few minutes before the clan wakes up, so let's make the most of it!" Full of energy, the two kits ran off once more, stopping by the nearest den. Leafkit moved forward, sniffing. A sharp smell of herbs erupted from the inside. "Uhhh," she muttered. "Gross!"

"That must be the medicine cat den!" Sparrowkit realised, padding forward and taking a small peak round the corner. "It's almost as cramped as the nursery."

Not wanting to spend another moment by the disgusting aroma, they set off towards the next den along. This one instead looked more more cosy and inviting. Leafkit breathed in the scent of fully grown toms and she-cats. "This is the warrior's den." She breathed.

"How can you tell?" Sparrowkit asked. "All I can scent is cats."

"I just…" she cut short, actually confusedly her own instinct."I don't know… I suppose I just… know." She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on the matter. Turning her head, she noticed that her friend was staring distractedly at the next den along, wondering what kind of cats it held. A sly smile erupted over the kit's face. She wiggled her haunches and leapt onto Sparrowkit's back, pinning him on the ground. "Ha!" her call rang. "Got you!"

"Hey!" he retorted, throwing her off. "No fair! I wasn't ready," he said, baring his small canines.

She tutted, shaking her head. "Excuses excuses Sparrowkit. Just swallow your pride and admit that I'm just so much cooler than you are!"

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Oh yeah?" Sparrowkit leapt up into the air and met Leafkit in the middle. They fell to the ground in a ball of fur and laughter, each trying desperately to throw the other off...

Suddenly, before the play fight could go any further, the two kits heard a voice form inside the warrior's den. "What's all that racket outside? The apprentices aren't sparring in the morning, are they?" Sparrowkit and Leafkit froze, realising they're mistake. They had woken someone up! _Oh no. _Leafkit thought. _We can't get caught again! I'll die of boredom! _Sparrowkit must have been thinking the same thing, for their eyes met, and they both echoed the same word.

"HIDE!"

The tom and the she-cat tripped over each other's paws in their effort to try and escape across the clearing. Exhilaration pumped through Leafkit's muscles, and though she knew she would get into trouble, she found herself enjoying it. The wind ruffled her fur and whiskers, making her feel like she was flying. _Is this what it's like to hunt in the __forest? _She wondered.

"In there!" Sparrowkit's urgent call quickly broke her of her day-dream, and the two kits ducked into the nearest den. Both were panting and wheezing, trying to catch each other's breath.

"Whoa," she rasped, craning her head to see if anyone had emerged from the warrior's den yet. No one. "That was… too close… for my liking."

Sparrowkit stared at her, almost crossly. "You said we wouldn't get caught!" She realised his face was full of hurt. Leafkit knew that the tom didn't like being lied to by anyone, especially his most trusted friend. Well, technically his only friend, actually.

"Hey!" she defended herself quickly. "I did say that I would take full blame if someone did see us. Don't you trust me?" she questioned. Sparrowkit's mouth opened but she cut in as soon as she discovered what his answer would be. "That was arhetorical question- which means you _don't answer it."_

_"_Well well well," a tired, old voice echoed from behind, making Sparrowkit and Leafkit spin round in shock. "Are you two kits enjoying your little argument?" An old cat stood before them: her ears were drooped and her tail was kinked in frustration. "You woke me up!"

Terrified, both kits stepped back. "Um... uh... I'm sorry." Leafkit stammered. "We didn't mean it."

Before they could speak again, the elder scooped them up in here jaw, her eyes bright with anger. "Let's see what your mothers have to say about this!" She scolded, stepping out into the open. In the camp, lots of warriors were already awake, looking just as enraged by the commotion Leafkit and Sparrowkit had created by accident. She gulped. _StarClan. _

Sparrowkit shook his legs pathetically in mid air. "What were you saying about not getting caught?" he squeaked, crossly.

"Okay, okay!" she muttered, her head held in shame. "I messed up, okay? I'm sorry, and that's the only thing I can do."

The elder stopped by the crowd and let the two trembling kits down. "Stupid mousebrains," she hissed, "I thought the damn camp was being attacked! But no, it was just two kits being fools!" She ranted on. Leafkit wasn't really scared by the elder, more by the stern faces of Lavenderheart and Silverfeather bursting out of the nursery.

"Leafkit and Sparrowkit!" They both shrieked, almost in sync. "We were so worried when we discovered you had gone! What do you have to say for yourselves?" They were once again scooped int the air, and both frantic she-cats began to groom their ruffled neck fur.

"Mother!" Leafkit complained, staring at the now amused crowd in front of them. "You're embarrassing me!"

She turned around to see Sparrowkit's mother scolding the tom. "You shouldn't have sneaked out of the nursery! You had us worried sick!"

With a jolt (but also when she saw her friend's pleading eyes) Leafkit remembered her promise. She scrambled out of Silverfeather's paws and sat down, addressing the clan. "It's my fault!" she said, boldly. All eyes turned on her, but the tiny kit carried on. "Don't blame Sparrowkit Lavenderheart," she said, quietly. "I convinced him to come out with me."

"Now now darling," she murmured, moving forward. "Don't try to take all the blame. He went out with you."

Once again, she shrugged away from her mother's out-stretched tongue. "It's true!" She insisted. "If you're going to punish anyone, punish me!"

There were a few intense moments of silence, when suddenly, a gravelly laugh erupted across the clearing. Turning her small head, Leafkit and Sparrowkit turned to see a tom with a torn ear and scars running down his back step out of the crowd. Though his eyes were warm, Leafkit couldn't help but shiver at his battle wounds. "Now this is a surprise! I've never seen a kit brave enough and loyal enough to protect her friend from the cat who gave birth to them."

Leafkit noticed that Silverfeather had acknowledged the strange tom's presence with a restful dig of her head. "Aspenclaw," she and Lavenderheart had already begun to herd the kits back towards the nursery. "I'll just be taking them back-"

"No Silverfeather," he ordered, slowly turning his eyes back onto Leafkit. "What's your name, kit?"

The she-cat turned back towards Sparrowkit. His eyes bright with fear, and he was shaking his head. Gulping, she looked back at Aspenclaw. "Um... Leafkit."

He eyed her curiously. It was almost like he was ripping her apart, layer by layer by layer. "Then I will watch you mature-" Leafkit felt a lump form in her throat, "-with interest." With this he looked away, and began to speak smoothly to the clan, urging them back to their dens. Teeth fixed firmly back into Leafkit's scruff, but she did't resist as her mother took her back ot the nursery.

Was it the female's imagination, or was a terrible fear splashed across Silverfeather's face?

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**So what did you think? Good? Bad? Plz review! I know the ending of this chapter was probably a bit rushed, but I really wanted to get this chapter done.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hi! Here is Chapter Two! As usual I hope you guys enjoy it. It's going to be the first chapter from Sparrowkit's POV, so I hope you enjoy like. As usual, thanks for epic reviews from Song of falling feathers, Moon dancer2000, Glimpse the Hedgehog, Echoflame of FireClan, Keeralie Starflight and storm-eyes-osprey. I really appreciate them. :D**

**Also, I'd like to say I'm accepting OC's! So please feel free to post one in a review!**

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**Sparrowkit's POV:**

It had been one moon since the two kit's escapade from the nursery, and even though Leafkit had promised she would take the blame, Sparrowkit couldn't help but feel guilty. _Should I have helped her? _He wondered helplessly, as he watched the she-cat pad around the den restlessly. He sighed: Lavenderheart had allowed him to spend more time in the camp instead of in the nursery since he had matured to four moons old. Silverfeather, however, had decided she really needed to teach her daughter some discipline, and so, Leafkit was still confined to the cramped area. A lot of the time, he had tried to comfort her, but mostly she had just pushed him away. Sparrowkit kept his view to himself, but a lot of the time he found it difficult to connect with her. She kept her feelings very solitary.

"Mother?" he whispered over to Lavenderheart, who raised her head from her paws. "Please can I take Leafkit with me to the fresh-kill pile?"

She looked over to Silverfeather, who shook her head in confirmation. "I'm sorry, my son," she replied tiredly. "Leafkit is still being punished: she won't be able to leave the nursery for another couple of days."

"But exploring isn't the same without her!" he complained, rolling onto his back and staring up at her pleadingly. "Can't we just go and try some mouse together-"

"I'm sorry," Lavenderheart interrupted, more firmly this time. "You can't take her, and that's final."

"Fine," he grunted, annoyed. Kinking his tail backwards, he squeaked back at her. "It wasn't just her fault!" Without waiting for a retort, he dashed out into the camp. It was alive and bustling with cats, all wide awake and some obviously relaxing in the sun after the dawn patrol. The same wave of excitement that he was always felt when in the clearing burst through his body, and he yelped, bouncing over to the fresh-kill pile. He had only tried prey a few times before, and he had enjoyed it each time. Not looking where he was going, Sparrowkit accidentally bumped straight into a larger tom, whose fur was a deep jet-black.

"Watch it, you mangy pile of foxdung!" the tom snapped, turning around and baring his teeth at the kit.

"I- I'm sorry," Sparrowkit shrieked with fear; he backed away from the older cat. But his back paw slipped and he fell backwards onto his leg in an awkward position. A jolt of pain shot up his tiny pad.

"Run back to the nursery, _kit," _he snarled, puffing out his fur. "You don't belong with the warriors yet!" Sparrowkit's eyes widened as he saw the glint of unsheathed claws in the sun. He closed his eyes-

"Barkpaw!" an outraged yowl echoed from the kit's left. "What are you thinking?" He opened his eyes a peek to see a calico she-cat even bigger than his attacker stalking over to them.

Quickly, Barkpaw sheathed his claws and backed away, but he didn't hold his tongue. "I'm sorry; I was just teaching this _kit," _he hissed, "some manners."

Sparrowkit felt indignant. _I have a name! Why can't he call me it? _"That doesn't give you the right to try and injure him Barkpaw," the calico scolded back at him. "As my apprentice, I expected you to be a bit more welcoming."

_So he's just an apprentice! _"He needs to look where he's going," Barkpaw rolled his eyes and flicked his tail rudely over the small tom's. "Don't the useless queens teach their kits anything?"

"Barkpaw!" she shouted, causing several cats to turn and watch them. "The queens are just as important in clan-life as the warriors!"

"But they don't fight," he spat. "They don't hunt! They're just-"

"Go to the apprentice's den and stay there."

"But-"

"GO!" This final yowl was the deciding one. It even made Sparrowkit flinch slightly.

Barkpaw huffed and stalked away, his head held high. "Remember what I told you, Sparrowkit," he whispered threateningly as he left. "You don't belong out here with the warriors."

The tom shivered slightly, his eyes round with fear. What exactly had he done wrong? "Sorry about my apprentice," the calico she-cat's voice made him turn around again. "He's always been a bit... tetchy."

"He was mean!" Sparrowkit declared, raising his tail in the air. "Why didn't he treat me-" Promptly, the kit fell flat on his face in front of the calico's paws. Another bullet of pain had shot up through his limbs: it refused to hold him up.

She lifted Sparrowkit up with here tail. "Are you alright?" She asked, concerned. Then she saw his twisted leg. "Oh."

"It hurts!" the tom whimpered, shaking it uselessly. Even this made him give out another yelp of agony. Cursing Barkpaw's name under his breath, he tried again and again to stand, without any result.

"That looks bad. Come on," she sympathised, supporting him. "Let's get you to Embersoul; she'll fix it up in no time." The she-cat smiled warmly. "I'm Skytail, by the way." Sparrowkit stared at her for a few seconds. So far, none of the warriors he had met had been very friendly. Like Aspenclaw (who he had since found out was the deputy), who had hardly payed him any attention whatsoever. But Skytail was helping him. And her voice was sweet and milky, like Lavenderheart's.

"Okay," he agreed, letting her lead away through the clearing. Several cats were sending concerned glances in his direction, but he ignored them and concentrated on limping his way over towards the medicine cat's den. He remembered the sharp pang of herbs and berries as Skytail allowed him to sit down in the den. All of the walls were completely covered in delicious and disgustring coloured herbs. It made hyim wrinkl;e his nose slightly. _How can the medicine cat stand this every day?_

_"_Embersoul!" Skytail murmured into the other end of the den. "One of the kits twisted his leg in the clearing. Do you think you could have a look at it for me?"

Another she-cat emerged from the other end of the den: she made Sparrowkit shiver slightly. Her fur was of a deep shade of ginger, and her eyes were clear sky blue that burned within the dim shadows of the nests. "Sparrowkit?" she asked.

"Yes." Skytail replied shortly. Was it Sparrowkit's imagination, or could he detect a burning tension between teh two she-cats? The calico left a few seconds afterwards, so he didn't have time to ponder on the matter.

He gulped a bit as the medicine cat padded forward and begun to inspect his leg. "It looks like you've damaged it quite a lot," Embersoul said. She seemed to have an idea. Slowly, she nudged the limb with her muzzle. "Did that hurt?"

"She had her answer when the kit started rolling around on the floor, shrieking. "Yes! Yes!"

"Okay then." Embersoul sat down and began to groom her whiskers nonchalantly. "We're going to have to keep you here for a bit. It will heal in a couple of days so you're going to have to sleep here for a bit until; it gets well again."

Sleep here!" Sparrowkit complained, shuddering at the mere thought of it. "But it stinks here!"

"Then you're going to have a bad night's sleep, then aren't you?" Embersoul snapped.

Sparrowkit felt a wave of awkwardness hit him. The ginger she-cat was staring at him in a very strange way, like she was trying to figure something out. This carried on for a long time, before the kit decided it was enough. "Stop looking at me like that!" he squeaked.

"Like what?" she replied, absently.

"Like that!" he retorted, hitting the she-cat's flank with his small tail. This instantly snapped her out of her da-dream, and she frowned down at him. She seemed uncomfortable, like when they had been caught exploriong in the clearing without their mother's permission. Sparrowkit turned away from her, but the tension didn't break. Something told him it wouldn't break for a long time...

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**I know know... so very... very... SHHOOOORRRTTT! I'm sorry about that, but I really didn't have much time to update due to all the homework, and all. But still, I hope you liked it! Plz review and tell me what you think!**


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